Multicontact relay.



H. G. WEBSTER. MULTIGON'I AGT RELAY. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1914.

1,133,449, 4 Patented 'Mar. 30, 1915.

Fig.8

Witness es Imus 7'bt07" ized UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIfiE.

HARRY G. WEBSTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MULTICONTACT RELAY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY Gr. WEBSTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chioago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Multicontact Relays, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to relays generally, and nore particularlyto relays for use in systems, such, as telephone systems, in which aconsiderable number of electrical circuits are to be controlledby theoperation of a s'ngle relay; this appl cation being a division of mypending application Serial No. 690,148, filed April 11, 1912.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a relay of thisclass which, even though provided with a large number of contacts forthe control of a plurality of circuits, shall have contact pointsreadily accessible for inspection so arranged that sparking at contactsWlll not interfere with proper electrical engagement, and contactsurfaces less liable to gather dust than in the ordinary type of relay,in a structure characterby extreme compactness of assembly andsimplicity of construction.

In carrying out my invention, I preferably employ stationary contactsprings p'rojecting side by side in fixed relation to an. operatingmagnet, and cooperating relatively flexible moving contact members whichmake wiping electrical engagement with the projecting portions of thestationary contact springs.

The several features and advantages of my inventionwill be more fullyunderstood upon reference to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing 3 and the scope of theinvention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a relayconstructed in accordance with my invention; plan view of one of theflexible contact members 68 of Fig. 1; Fig.3 is a plan view of the bankof stationary contact springs indicated at 58 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is asection elevation on an enlarged scale of said contact bank, the sectionbeing taken on a plane indicated by the line 66 of Fig. 1.'

Specification of Letters Patent.

return the armature Fig. 2 is a Patented Mar. 30, 1915. this applicationfiled November 6,

Throughout these views, like characters refer to like parts.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1O designates the usual relay winding mounted upona core 13 having the spool heads 11. he core upon which the windin ismounted terminates at one end in thepole face adjacent to the armature38, and at the other end in a threaded extension 14 provided with a nut11' for securing the magnetic angle frame 36 to the core. The right handend of the core and the right hand end of the angle frame 36 constitutethe polar extremities of the relay magnet. The armature 38 is of theusual angular form, and as here illustrated, is supported at theextremity of the angle frame 36 by pivots 39 between projecting ears 37.

he extension 14 of the core extends through both the angular frame 36and the mounting strip 40, the parts being held in position by the nut41 or in any other suitable manner.

As here illustrated, a leaf spring 42 is secured to the rear end of theextension 43 of armature 38 and co5perates with an overhanging hook 44secured to the frame 36 to 38 to normal.

A screw 45 threaded through the armaof the core 13.

in the invention as here illustrated, the fixed contact springs are inthe form of metal strips 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54,

I and 56, rigidly supported throughout their length and secured .to themounting strip i0 by angle plates 57', 58, connected by screws 59extending through suitable insulating strips 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 and66, which insulate the contact strips from each other and from thescrews and plates. The rear ends of these strips are provided wit Bythis construction, the free ends of these various contact springs aresupported by the insulating strips 60, 62, 64 and 66, and thus theseveral pairs, as 53-55, are prevented from unduly s reading whenengaged by a coiiperating moving contact member. Obviously, thestationary contact springs may be made of suficient weight and stiffnessto secure this result without extending the insulating strips 60, 62, 64and 66 along side of the free ends of these springs.

To cooperate with the stationary contact springs, 1 provide a series ofcontact springs 68, positioned side by side, in edgewise relation to themagnet structure and collectively forming a bank extending transverselythereto. As shown at Figs. 1 and 2, contact springs 68 are each providedwith two flexible contacting ends 69 which are convexly curved so as toreadily engagebetween cooperating pairs of stationary contact springsand establish wiping engagement therewith. The moving contact springs 68are secured at their non-contacting ends by an insulating mounting 70,which is connected in any suitable manner, as by screw 71, with theextension 43 of armature 38. By this construction, the contact springs68 are insulated from the other parts and from eachother, and may beprovided with circuit connections at points 29, or may serve merely to.bridge pairs of cooperating stationary 'contact springs.

It will be understood that in operation, the pulling up of the armature38 will move the flexible contacting ends 69, of the contact springs 68,out of engagement with the lower stationary contact springs, such as 48vand 49, and into engagement with the upper stationary contact springssuch as 47 and 49, the contact spring 49 extending opposite both contactsprings 47 and 48. .Upon retraction of the armature, contact springs4749 will be disengaged and contact springs 4849 engaged.

It Will be apparent that the stationary contact springs may be variouslyarranged, and that the contact ends of the moving contact springs 68 maybe varied in width to suit the requirements of the cooperatingstationary contact springs, and that both may be varied according to thecircuit requirements or judgment of the one employing the invention. Asshown in Fig. 4, it will be seen that in the case of contact springs 69,the circuit between contact springs 48 and 49 is broken before thecircuit between 47 and 48 is closed. By making the flexible contactsbroader, as illustrated at 72, the second circuit may be closed beforethe first is opened, and vice versa. Or again, by replacing the widespring, such as 49, b two narrow springs, such as 55 and 56, antproviding relatively narrow flexible contacts 69, contact springs 68 maybe connected at point 26 to one of the circuit wires and will then serveto establish at onetime a multiple connection to contact springs 54 56,and in the alternative position a multiple connection to the contactsprings 53-55.

lar form of flexible moving contact spring, it is to be understood thatobviously the moving spring may be arranged in a variety of ways. It isnot essential to my invention that the moving contact spring shouldenter between to engage cooperating stationary springs, for obviouslythe ends of the moving contact spring might be arranged to engage withopposite sides of a single stationary spring. Obviously, also, themovable contact spring 68 might be provided with a single flexible end69, or might be made of a single integral piece of flexible sheet metal.It will also be apparent that the invention here disclosed may beembodied in various other alterations and modifications withoutdeparting from its spirit and scope. I therefore do not wish to beunduly limited, but aim to cover all such adaptations, alterations andmodifications by the terms of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is 1-'. A multi-contact relay comprising a magnet structure, anarmature actuated thereby, an insulating mounting rigidly relatedto saidmagnet structure, a series of relatively rigid contact members carriedat one end by said mounting and projecting therefrom side by sideforming a bank, and a series of relatively flexible contact membersmovable in planes intersecting the plane of said bank actuatedresponsive to movementof said armature to make wiping electricalengagement with the projecting porltoions of certain of said rigidcontact memers.

2. A multi-contact relay comprising an insulating mounting, a series ofrelatively rigid contact members supported by said mounting andprojecting therefrom side by side forming a bank, an armature, a magnetstructure to actuate said armature presenting opposite polar extremitiesthereto, and a series of relatively flexible wiping contact membersmovable in planes intersecting the plane of said bank and actuatedresponsive to movement of said armature to electrically engage theprojecting portions of certain of said rigid contact members.

3. A relay structure comprising an electro magnet, an angle frame, anangular armature actuated by said electroqnagnet fulcrumed on said frameand having an extension lying in close proximity thereto, a series ofcontact springs secured to the rear end of said frame and projectingforward toward said armature extension said contact springs beingarranged side by side in a plane parallel to said electro-magnet, and

series of flexible wiping contact. pieces carried by said armatureextension and mov-- able under the actionof said armature intut; and outof engagement WfibnertainofiiQiQ While I have indicated at Fig. 2 aparticucontact members.

armature actuated b and fulcrumed on sa1 frame, and a serles of"relatively rigid contact springs carried at one end by said mountingand projecting therefrom side by side forming a bank, an saidelectro-mag'net relatively flexible contact springs forming a secondbank co-extensivc transverselylwith the first mentioned bank saidsprings individually bein positioned in edgewise relation to said eectro-magnet and actuated responsive to movement of said armaturetoengage certain of said rigid contact springs.

5. A multi-contact relay comprising a magnet structure, an armatureactuated thereby, an insulating mounting rigidly remy name this 4th dayof Nov. 1914.

lated to said magnet structure, a series of relatively rigid contactsprings carried at one end by said mounting and rojecting therefrom sideby side forming a ank, and a series of pairs of flexible contact membersmovable in planes intersecting the plane of Copies of this patent may beobtained for said bank and actuated responsive to movement of saidarmature to make wiping electrical engagement with certain of saidcontact springs, the respective pieces of said pairs being oppositelyflexed thereby to. equalize the thrust against sald contact springs. I6. A multi-contact switch comprismg a magnet structure, an armatureactuated thereby, a series of relatively rigid contact pieces supportedin fixed relation to sa1d magnet structure, and a series of relativelyflexible contact members positioned inedgewise relation to said magnetstructure actuated responsive to movement of said armature to makewiping electrical engagement with certain of said contact pieces.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe HARRY G. WEBSTER.

Witnesses:

LEONARD W. NOVANDEB ETHEL A. NELSON.

nve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of ratentl,

Washington, D. 0.

